Trimming machine



Feb. 13, 1934. L P, was n 1,946,556

TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Oct. 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

.. 7PM/eis.

Feb. 13, 1934.

J. P. wElS TRwMING MACHINE Filed oct. 15. 1930 v2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M INVENTOR.

Y. .BY `]0/777 FMez/s.

' ATTO Ys.

Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES TRIMMING MACHINE John P. Weis, Nyack, N. Y., assigner to Metropolitan Sewing 'Machine Corporation, Nyack, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 15, 1930. Serial No. 488,739

27 Claims.

This, invention relates to sewing machines the object of the invention being to provide a stitching mechanism with design trimming mechanism .adapted to design trim the material u adjacent to the line of stitches and also cuttherefrom any surplus material, the present improvement differing from trimmers heretofore used in connection with stitching mechanisms in that the trimming mechanism produces a design or irregular cut instead of a straight cut along the edges of the material.

The principal object of the invention therefore is the provision of a sewing machine with combined stitching and design trimming mechanisms operating in unison whereby all kinds of irregular designs along the cut edges of the work such as pinked edges, curved edges or scalloped edges as distinguished from straight edges or cuts may be obtained in apparel and other articles of manufacture. n

A further object of the invention is the provision of a design trimming mechanism of lthe character described operated by the feed mechanism of the sewing machine.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a design trimming mechanism of the character described in co-operation with a gumming mechanism for gumming the edges of a cut seam thereby to prevent the fraying thereof.

A further object of the invention is theprovision in a sewing machine of stitching mechanism and intermittently operated design trimming mechanism operative in unison to simultaneously sew and design trim the edges of a sewed first stitching the article and-then subsequently trimming it on a separate instrumentality. A

Prior to this invention in commercial practice, the production of. design cut seams required a separate machine, the operation thereof and also the extra. cost of handling the work as there was no sewing machine in existence provided with design or pattern cutting mechanism. Consequently, when it was necessary to design trim the work, a requirement that .has existed for many years in certain kinds of work, it has always been necessary to provide a 'separate machine operating independently of the sewing machine at high cost and the separate operations of stitching and design trimming have frequently resulted in irregularand unsightly production. Furthermore, when the articles were pinked or design trimmed prior to the Sewing thereof, the result was that the plies of material to be stitched were oftentimes uneven or out of line seam, thereby doing away with the necessity of so that the design trimmededges'would overlap and not vmatch and, frequently, thecut edges would have margins of different widths from the line of stitches, all of which disadvantages are overcome in the present improvement by reason ao of the vfact that the' stitching and'design cutting are simultaneously performed all on one machine, thereby-saving the cost of -an additional machine, the operation thereof and the extra handling of the work.

Practically all of the thousands of pinking or scallop trimming machines that have .been in use in the past are operated by hand-turned cranksei'ther to do this work before or after the sewing operation and theA problem of design trimming and stitching simultaneously on one machine has never been successfully accomplished owing to the factthat there seemed no way of connectingvsuch design trimmers so as to properly co-operate with the feeding and stitching mechanisms until the present improvement, wherein a practical, simple and inexpensiveworkablemachine is provided and operative in as simple a'manner as the ordinarystitching machine and with no extra cost lfor the design trimming operation, and which improvement is iarpplicable to many of the sewing machines now use.

In the present instance, it is shown in connection withv the well-known Metropolitan sewing machine, especially designed for industrial use and to which it may be attached without alteration of lits material parts', and as these sewing machines are so well known and are illustrated and described in numerous patents, it is necessary only to briefly refer to the main parts of this machine.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an' end view Iof a sewing machine having this improved design trinmiing mechanism applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a top view of the trimming mechanism applied to the cloth plate of the machine with the overhanging arm of the sewing machine omitted.

Figure 3 is a front view of that portion of the 100 sewing machine to. which the trimming mechanism is applied. and

Figure 4 illustrates a portion of stitched material having one design of 'trimmed edge and commonly designated as a pinked edge or pinklng.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode of operation thereof, I desire to have it understood that the' invention is not 11n limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and that the phraseology which I employ is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the preferred form thereof shown, the base 1 of the sewing machine is provided with a top or overhanging arm 2 having the usual needle bar 3 carrying a needle 4 and presser foot mechanism 5 provided with lifting means 6 therefor.

In the base 1 and arm 2 are located rotary shafts for driving the several parts. A feed mechanism 'I is provided for operating the usual feed bar or dog 8 for feeding the work. This comprises the usual four motion adjustable feed common in Metiopolitan sewing machines, in which the link '7, connected with the crank pin connection of the drive shaft, is radially adjustable relative thereto in the usual Way. Co-operating with the needle is a looper 11 for producing the stitches and this looper is operated by suitable looper mechanism 12. The cloth or work plate 13 is secured to the base or frame 1 of the machine by screws 14 so that the cloth plate is rigidly supported and this plate is provided with a throat-plate 15 having a feed dog opening 16 and a needle hole 17, a slide plate 18 being provided (see Figure 2) to permit access to the parts for threading the looper, etc.

The cloth plate has a bracket bearing 19 (see Figures 1 and 2) slotted at 20 to receive a collar 21 and a shaft 22 to which the collar is secured, thereby preventing end movement of the shaft 22 in the bearing 19 while permitting rocking movement of the shaft.

On this shaft is secured for rocking or hinge movement therewith one end of a trimmer frame or bracket 23 and for this purpose, the shaft is secured or clamped in bearings 24 and 25 of this trimmei frame, these bearings being spaced apart to provide firm support to the trimmer. This trimmer frame 23 carries a rotary shaft 26 to which a step by step rotary movement is imparted by the means hereinafter described, this shaft being located in a bearing 27 of the frame 23.

To that end of the shaft 26 adjacent to the sewing mechanism is secured a circular design trimmer or cutter as 28, this being clamped to the shaft by a nut 29, thereby holding the cutter rigidly against a flange 30 of the shaft 26, the cutter having a circular opening for the reception of the end of the shaft 26.

At the opposite end of the shaft 26 is secured an intermittent clutch mechanism 31 which may be of the form shown and described in my Patent No. 1,736,297, dated November 19, 1929, and, therefore, needs no further description. A collar 32 is secured to the end of the shaft 26 to hold the clutch mechanism place on the shaft. "Ihis clutch mechanism is operated with a step by step or intermittent movement by a connection or rod 33 attached by a shoulder screw 34 (see Figure -2) thereto. T'he other end of this connector is secured at 35 to the feed mechanism '7 through the medium of a shaft 36 carried by the rocker frame 37 of the feed mechanism so that the operation of the feed mechanism will impart movement to the clutch mechanism, thereby to operate the rotary cutter 28 intermittently.

The design cutter co-operates with a cylinder member under sufliclent pressure to sever the material passing between them and, therefore, a bearing bracket 38 isv provided at the under side of the cloth plate (see Figure 3) This bracket carries a stud shaft 39 forming a support as at 40 for "a cylinder 41 made of hardened steel and against which the cutter presses to sever the material as it is fed through the machine by the feed mechanism. This shaft 39 has a head 42 to maintain the rotary cylinder in place on its shaft 39 and the cylinder 41 has a width sufficient to permit lateral shifting of the cutter 28, thereby to change the distance between the line of stitches and the cut edges 43 of the article.

Pressure is applied to the design cutter 28 by means of a spring 44 and a wing nut 45 carried by a stud bolt 46 threaded into the cloth plate 12 as at 47 (see Figure 3), the bolt extending up through an elongated slot 48 in the bracket 23 of the trimmer. By this means which is easily and quickly manipulated, the cutting action of the rotary knife may be interrupted since, when the spring is released, the pressure on the knife is likewise released and its cutting action ceases. Obviously, the spring pressure can likewise be so adjusted that the rotary knife will just exert sufficient pressure on the work to act as a resilient rotary feed for the work due to the irregular or staggered cutting surfaces or teeth which, coming in contact with the work, act as a positive feed. The spring pressure may be so adjusted as to be just sufficient to hold the knife against the work similar to sewing machine shall feed in unison with the cutter, thereby to prevent distortion of the work and this important result is obtained by the intermittent clutch mechanism which is connected with and operated by the feed mechanism so that the parts are all timed and actuated in a proper manner for the smooth and even feed advancement of the material.

The cloth plate 13 has an opening 48 through which a part of the clutch mechanism 31 operates and this opening is of suflicient size to permit the shifting of the trimmer which is done by loosening the collar 21 on the shaft 22 of the trimmer 125 frame 23, whereby the frame 23 may be shifted to the right or left to change the width of the seam. v j

For the purpose of preventing the trimmed edges of the work from fraying. I have also provided a gumming mechanism to gumor glue together the cut edges 43 of the superposed plies of material and by means of which the gum may be so evenly applied that it is unnoticeable.

Some kinds of work will not require this treatment and, therefore, the device may be disconnected and removed. This gumming mechanism is automatic in its operation, the flow of liquid gum being regulated to deliver the precise amounts of gum according to the speed of the machine and feeding of the work.

This gumming mechanism comprises a receptacle 49 attached to the overhanging arm 2 of the machine and is provided with a supply pipe 50 having a valve 51 operated by a lever 52 and havter or motor, not shown, for driving the machine by power. When the treadle is operated, the lever 52 will be shifted thereby to open the valve 51 and permit a supply of gum to flow to the work. The supply pipe extends to the cutter 28 where the delivery end thereof 58 is provided with a wick 59 in position to contact with the cutter 28, thereby to deliver to the cutter the desired amount of gum required.

One of the advantages of the present improvement is that when it s desired to change the design to be cut in the work,`this may be done by merely changing one knife, as the top rotary knife which, `oeing the cutting member and havinga crushing action against the plain bottom roller permits a quick change'from'one design to another, whereas, when both rollers are cutting rollers, this necessitates, when the design is changed,

the changing of both knives. Y

It is to be understood that by describing in de-4 tail herein any particular form, structure or arrangement, it is not intended to limitth'e invention beyond the terms of the several claims or the requirement of the prior art.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described-a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the modes of its use, I claim:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination of stitching mechanism, feeding mechanism comprising a feed dog or bar and means for operating it and means for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a'predetermined design, means for operating the stitching mechanism, means connected with the feed dog operating means for operating said trimming means, and means for regulating the pressure of the trimming means on the work. A

2. In a sewing machine, the combination of stitching mechanism, means including a circular cutter for trimming and feeding the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design, means for operating said stitching mechanism, feeding mechanism comprising a feed dog or bar and operating means therefor, means connected with the feed dog operating means for operating said trimming means, and means for regulating the pressure of the trimming means on the work.

L. In a sewing machine having a cloth plate,

the combination of stitching mechanism, feedingmechanism, means for operating said stitching and feeding mechanisms, means for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design and comprising a pair of rotary members, one` mounted below the cloth plate and projecting therethrough and means connecting the other rotary member of the trimming mechanism with the feeding mechanism for intermittently operating said trimming means.

4. In asewing machine having a cloth plate, the combination of stitching mechanism, feeding mechanism, meansV for operating said stitching and feeding mechanisms, means for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design and comprising a pair of rotary members, one mounted below the cloth plate Yand projecting therethrough, and means connecting the other rotary member of the trimming mechanism with the feeding mechanism for intermittently operating said trimming means, said trimming means including a circular cutter. y

5. In a sewing machine, the combination of stitching mechanism, feeding mechanism, means nisms, means for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design, means connecting the trimming mechanism with the feeding mechanism for intermittently,` operating said trimming'means, said trimming means in -v cluding a circular cutter, means for adjustingthe trimming means laterally relatively to the stitch line thereby to vary the width of the seam, and means for regulating the pressure ofthe trimming means on the work.

'76. In a sewing machine, the combination of stitching mechanism, means for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design, means for operating said stitching mechanism and trimming means simultaneously, means for supplying gum adjacent to the trimming' means, and means for throwing the gum supply means into and out of operation on the starting and stopping of the stitching and trimming means.

7. In a sewing machine, the combination o! stitching mechanism, feeding mechanism, means for operating said stitching and feeding mechanisms, means for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design, means connecting the trimming mechanism with the .f eed operating means for intermittently operating -anism and trimming means simultaneously, and

treadle controlled means for supplying gum adjacent `to the trimming means and including 115 means for regulating thedelivery of the required amount of gum to the trimming means according to the speed of the machine and for throwing the regulating means into and out of operai tion von the starting and stopping of the stitching and trimming means.

9. In a 'sewing machine, the combination of stitching mechanism, means including a circular cutter for trimming the stitched edges of the workI withfa predetermined design, means for operatingsaid stitching mechanism and trimming means-simultaneously, means for supplying gum adjacent'to the trimming means, and means for throwing-the gum supply means into and out of-operation on the starting and stopping of the stitching and trimming means.

10. In a sewing machine, the combination of stitching mechanism, a feed dog or bar and means for operating it', means for trimming the stitched edgesof the work with a predetermined design, means for operating the stitching mechanism, means free of direct association'with the feed dog or bar vfor operating said trimming means, means for' supplying gum adjacent to the trimming means, and means for throwing the gum supply means into and .out of operation on the starting and stopping of the trimming means;

11 Ina sewing machine, the combination o1' stitching mechanism, a feed dog or bar 'and means for operating it, means for operating said stitching mechanism, means for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design, means free' of direct association with the feed X dog or bar for intermittently operating said trimfor operating said-stitching and feeding mechamingmeans, said trimming means including a 15 f mechanism for intermittently operating the same. 17. The combination of a sewing machine 4hav-y rotary cutter, means for supplying gum to said cutter, and `means for throwing the gum supply means into and out of operation on the starting -and stopping -of the trimming means.

l ter supported on said cloth plate adjacent to and at the side of the needle of the stitching mechanism and having the plane of its axis intersecting thev needle, means for interiznittently-operatingY said cutter, and means for adjusting said cutter and its operating mechanism laterally relatively to the stitch line thereby to vary` the width of the cut seam.

13. In a sewing machine, thecombination of stitching mechanism and means for operating it, a rotatable circular cutter supported by the Vvmachine adjacent to the stitching mechanism, a fee'd dog or bar and means for operating it, means connected with said feed operating means for operating the cutter intermittently and means for supplying gum to the cutter.

14.. In a sewing machine having a -cloth plate, the combination of stitching mechanism, feeding mechanism, -means for trimming the 1 stitched edges of'the work with a predetermined design and comprising a cylinder member rotatablysupported below the cloth plate and projecting therethrough, arotary design trimmer mounted above l the cloth plate at one side of and in parallelism with the needle, means for regulating the `pressure of the rotary trimmer on the work, and means connected with the feeding mechanism for operating the trimming means.

15.` Ina sewing machine having acloth plate,

the combination of stitching mechanism, feeding mechanism, means for trimming the stitched edges'of .the work with a predeterrnineddesign and comprising a cylinder member rotatably supported below the cloth plate and projecting therethrough, a rotary design trimmer mounted above the cloth plate at one side of and in parallelism with the needle, means for regulating the pressure of the rotary trimmer on the fvwork, and clutch means connected with the 4feeding mechanism for operating the trimming means.

16. In asewing machine havingy a clothv plate, the combination of stitching mechanism, feedmechanism, means for operating said stitching and feeding mechanisms, means for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design and comprising a roller projecting through the cloth plate, and a co-operatingcutting member located above the cloth plate and Lmeans connecting the cutting member with the feeding ing a reciprocating needle, a feed bar,vrneans Vfor varying the stroke of the feed bar, means for giving the feed bar a four-waymotion, an` in, termittently rotating pinking roller, and operating mechanism therefor connectedr with the operating mechanism for the feed bar. l

18. In a sewing machinethe combination of a pinking roller, a feed bar, means for operating the feed bar, adjustable means for varying thefstnoke of said feed bar, and means associated `.with the feed bar operating means for automatically ro-l tating the pinking roller for eachl stroke of the feed bar, to pink a distance on the material equal to the feed stroke. y 1,

19. The combination with a sewing machine having afneedle and a feed bar, of a pinking roller, a rock shaft, means to transmitmotlon to' vthe latter connected with the operating means Astitching mechanism, meansfor trimming the said rock shaft, linkage connecting the rock shaft with the feed bar, and operating vmechanism ming means simultaneously, the latter connected .with the operatingmeans for the feed dog forv operation thereby.

, 21. In a sewing machine, the combination of feeding mechanism comprising a feed dog or bar -and operating means therefor, stitching mechanism, means including a. circular cutter located at the side of the needle with the plane of its 4axis intersecting the needle for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design, and means for operating said stitching mechanism and trimming means simultaneously,

for the feed dog for operation thereby.

22. In a sewing machine, the combination of stitching mechanism, means for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design and comprising a trimmer located at the side of and parallel to the needle of the stitching mechanism and having the plane of its axis intersecting the needle, means for operating said stitching mechanism and trimming means simultaneously, means fork supplying gum adjacent to the trimming means, and means .for throwing the gum supply means into and out of operation on thestarting and stopping of the stitching and trimming means.

23. In a sewing machine,..the combination of stitching mechanism, means for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design and comprising a trimmer located at the tersecting the needle, means for operating said stitching mechanism and trimming means simultaneously, means for supplying gum adjacent to the trimming means, and feeding mechanism comprising a. feed dog or bar and operating means therefor, said trimming means `being connected with the operating means for the feed dog whereby it is operated thereby.

24. In asewing machine, the combination of stitched edges of the Work with a predetermined design and comprising a cutter having the plane of its axis intersecting the needle, means for operating said stitching mechanism and trimming means simultaneously but from different sources,

lv-means for4 adjusting the trimming means laterally relative to the stitch line thereby to vary the width of the seam, and means for regulating the pressure of the trimming means on the work.

25. In a sewing machine having a cloth plate, 14;;

`the combination of feeding mechanism comprising a feed dog or bar and operating means therefor, stitchingmechanism and means for operating it, a rotatable circular cutter supported on said cloth plate adjacent to and parallel with the stitching mechanism, and means connected with the operating means for the feed-dog for intermittently operating said cutter.

26. In a sewing machine, the combination of stitching mechanism and means for operating it, 150

a feed dog and means for operating it,`stitchng mechanism, means for trimming the stitched edges of the work with a predetermined design comprising a rotary cutter operative as a top feeding mechanism for feeding the work, and means for operating said stitching mechanism and trimming means simultaneously, the latter connected with the operating means for the feed dog for operation thereby.

' JOHN P. WEIS. 

